Life is a Half-Silvered Mirror
by InfinitePanicAttacks33
Summary: She'd seen Percy do it, but hadn't stopped him. Why bother with the class freak? Annabeth didn't care. He could do whatever he wanted and it'd never matter. So WHAT if she wanted to help him? That didn't mean she could. There was nothing Annabeth could give him except a bit of friendship. And it's not like THAT would every happen. was completely out of the question.(Hiatus)
1. Seaweed-Brain

**PART ONE.**

"Daddy even said that he'll bring me back a souvenir! Isn't that great?"

"What if he brings you back something boring, like a book?"

"He won't because I specifically told him to buy me those yummy chocolates from last time." Silena Beauregard flicked the purple marble in front of her carelessly, and smiled, adding her next statement as an afterthought. "And besides, if daddy _does _get me a book I could give it to Annabeth. She _loves_ them! Isn't that right?"

Saying this, Silena tapped the nose of the blonde, curly-haired girl next to her, who in turn wrinkled her freckled nose.

"If she loves them so much, why doesn't she marry one?" mocked Thalia Grace, whilst chewing on a cookie. "Then we can call her Mrs. Carol or Mrs. King!"

Annabeth swiped the cookie out of Thalia's hand before the gleeful girl could blink.

"Hey! Give it back!" Thalia demanded, indignant. "That's my last one! I'm hungry!"

"Didn't your mommy tell you to eat healthy?" Silena said. "You're not listening to her."

"So?" Thalia tried to grab the cookie from Annabeth's hand, but failed miserably. "It's not Christmas without cavities!"

"I thought that was Halloween?" It was surprising that Annabeth answered so clearly, what with one of her closest friends slapping at her arm.

"That too. Now gimme!"

Annabeth returned her cookie just as the bell rang, signaling the end of recess.

"By the way, you can't marry a book. I'm pretty sure it's not legal," objected Silena.

"Actually," Annabeth intervened, "two days ago, I read an article about a lady who married a Ferris wheel. 

"People are weirdos." Thalia sighed, pulling a red container out of her backpack. "Here, Annabeth can you help me with this?"

Annabeth took the Tupperware from Thalia, giving her a sarcastic smile when she saw what it held. "I thought you said that was your last cookie?"

"It was!" Thalia grabbed another container identical to the one she had handed Annabeth, and re-zipped her bag. "Those are for the class. Travis is bringing hot chocolate."

"Oh! Can we help you pass them out!?" squealed Silena.

"Sure just hold the door open for me, will you?" Thalia pointed her chin towards a door marked:

**Grade Three**

**Class of 2004**

When all three girls were inside Mrs. Cravitz's classroom, Thalia and Silena headed straight to the front of the class where the Stoll brothers stood waiting. Annabeth would've followed if not for the creepy pair of eyes she felt burning into the back of her head. Suppressing a shiver, she turned around and saw little Percy Jackson standing ten feet away.

Unlike most of her friends, Annabeth wasn't afraid of Percy. To her, he was simply the poor mute kid with the terrible reading grade. At first glance, you'd think he was the usual juvenile hobo, but if-like Annabeth-you decided to look closer, you'd see that there was a certain spark in his sea-green eyes. But just because she saw something special in him, didn't mean she acted upon it. All her life, Annabeth had been taught to mind her own business, and that she did, nearing not even the juiciest of gossip.

Deciding that she was wasting her time staring at Percy, Annabeth walked off. Silena and Thalia were much more important to her than a rude boy off the streets. Didn't he know that staring made people uncomfortable?

"'Beth, what took you so long? We need help passing out the cookies and hot chocolate!" Silena frantically flapped her hands around in the air, earning an eye roll from Thalia.

Everyone loved Silena, but no one could deny her knack for causing drama. Annabeth suspected this trait would last up to her teen years and beyond.

"Catch" Annabeth glanced up just in time to grab hold of the goody-bag thrown her way.

"Careful!" Annabeth warned Thalia.

"Don't be such a worry-wart," she replied. "And read the labels before you hand them out. Some of these idiots are allergic to peanuts."

Annabeth did as told, a habit she's picked up since birth.

**LINEBREAKLINEBREAK**

"Connor, hand me another marshmallow!" Thalia demanded.

"Okay!" Connor held out the treat to Thalia's request, pulling his hand back seconds before she could snatch it. "But only if you give me an Abe Lincoln."

Thalia's eyes narrowed into serpentine slits, making everyone in a three yard radius cower. It was a well-known fact of life that Thalia had a sweet tooth like no other, and _no one _(especially not a Stoll) could get in the way of her one true sugary love. For her birthday, Annabeth had gotten her a custom-made T-shirt that read, "Give me candy or I KEEL YOU!"

Very appropriate indeed.

Thalia pointed at her face. "See this face? It's not happy. And do you know why it's not happy?"

"You're an unhappy person?" Connor suggested.

Giggles along with a whisper of, "I'll tell our mom you love her," spread throughout the small crowd.

"No." Thalia gritted her teeth. "But _you_ will be if I don't get my marshmallow."

"You could have said please," Connor grumbled, but nevertheless placed the marshmallow in her outstretched palm.

"That's not how I roll," Thalia said, smirking that she had gotten what she wanted.

Connor, who at this point seemed keen on receiving a death sentence, gathered together the last of his dignity and blew a big, wet raspberry at the dark-haired girl. Before he knew it, Thalia was onto him, stuffing marshmallows and cookie crumbs up his nose.

Annabeth, not wanting to get in trouble, shook her head, slipping silently out of her chair and traveling in the direction of the classroom library. Still holding her now-tepid hot chocolate, she settled into the nearest bean bag available, deciding that seclusion was more peaceful. It was either this, or get a time out for associating with two fighting kiddies. Annabeth couldn't have that.

She was about to open one of the books she'd last read, when Annabeth felt that something wasn't right. Scanning the room, she saw that there was really no logical reason for feeling this put out. Everywhere, kids were sharing tables with their peers, excited that winter break was no more than a week away. She could even spot Thalia, silently closing off Connor's air flow with pastries, surrounded by their closest friends. A few steps away, Mrs. Cravitz finally seemed to catch Thalia being naughty (and quite frankly, abusive) and was hurriedly stomping her way.

Despite the rowdiness, nothing was out of place. All the students were cheerful, the class pet was swimming contently around its tank, and…that's when she saw it. In the midst of all the festivity, sat Percy alone in the corner of the room, drawing. She would've dismissed the thought-after all, this was the anti-social Jackson she was looking at-if it wasn't for one small detail; Percy had gotten neither a cookie nor a cup of hot chocolate. Surely they hadn't forgotten him? But no, it was staring Annabeth right in the eye. Percy had once again been left out.

Sighing, she stood up, taking advantage of the distraction Thalia's riot was causing to secretly walk up to Percy. Despite his scraggly appearance, his scent was strangely pleasant, reminding Annabeth of a beautiful day at the beach spent eating unbelievable amounts of ice cream (every person's dream).

Percy hadn't noticed that Annabeth was standing next to him, so to catch his attention, she tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Hi," Annabeth said, putting on her brightest smile.

Percy stared.

Annabeth coughed, already feeling unwanted. "Are you drawing a shark?" She leaned in and saw, without him needing to answer, that he was indeed coloring in a roughly-sketched tiger shark. "Oh it is! I love sharks! Too bad they're endangered. That makes me sad. Did you know that some people eat them in soup? How gross is that? Yuck!"

Finishing her rant, Annabeth waited for Percy to reply, but seeing that he was confused, she figured he wouldn't be doing so any time soon. What's more, Annabeth was deeply insulted when instead of talking to her, Percy went back to what he had been doing before she so kindly offered her company. That meanie.

Annabeth scowled.

_Fine,_ she thought, _I wanted to be alone anyway_

Annabeth turned, fully prepared to make an angry exit like the one in her favorite movies. That is, until she felt the light tapping of Percy's pianist fingers on her shoulder.

Looking down, Annabeth was slightly embarrassed to see that Percy hadn't been ignoring her at all, but writing her a note. Annabeth's metallic eyes flickered from Percy to the slip of colored paper, and becoming impatient, he pressed it into her hand. Annabeth squinted, having a hard time making out his handwriting.

_You're talking too fast, _it read.

Annabeth's mouth formed an "O" shape. _I forgot. He doesn't speak._

"Sorry," she said, face flushed.

Percy shrugged. He wrote something else:

_It's okay :) _

Percy sat still, waiting for Annabeth to say whatever it was that had compelled her to approach him.

"You didn't get a cookie," she pointed out.

Percy shrugged once again.

_I'm used to it, _he scribbled.

"You shouldn't be," Annabeth said. "People don't have to be so mean. What did you ever do to them?"

The green-eyed boy lifted his lips in an attempt at a smile. It was one of the most heart-wrenching sights Annabeth had ever seen. Well, that and what he wrote next.

_I did something bad._

And then…

_I was born._

Annabeth read what he wrote, and frowned at him. If Percy expected sympathy, he was going to be very disappointed. Two years ago, Annabeth had been forced to deal with the death of her mother, Athena. To this day she couldn't figure out what it was that had caused it. According to her dad, Athena had accidentally gotten locked in the garage and their stinky car made all her air go away. She never believed it. All Annabeth knew was that one day her mommy was there, and the next she was having a permanent nap under a stone. Now she had to do whatever her step-mom wanted, secretly wishing that the woman had the face of another. It was unfair, yet here was Percy acting like life was a pest, when she herself had learned to treasure it. How could he?

Annabeth found herself wanting to go away.

"Here." She shoved her cookie into Percy's annoying butt-face. "You can have it."

Percy stared, completely-shell shocked. That just served to make Annabeth more angry.

Not wanting to stand there like an imbecile, Annabeth slammed the cookie into Percy's desk, spilling crumbs everywhere. "Keep it. I'm not hungry."

Not waiting for his response, she walked away, regretting her short encounter with the class freaf.

Still unable to decipher the events that had occurred, Percy picked up Annabeth's cookie and examined it, unsure if she really meant to give it to him.

Percy allowed himself a smile, and dropped the cookie. He would've eaten it, but he was unfortunately part of the small fraction of the class that had a peanut allergy.

_Still, _he thought, _it's the first time someone's ever been nice to me at school._

And it wasn't the last. He would receive his next moment of kindness nearly a year later.

**LINELREABLINEBREAK**

**2005.**

It was the second day it had happened, Random students reported missing snacks to Mr. Carroway, demanding that the class burglar be caught and sentenced to a month of no jelly beans. To the candy-loving nine year-olds, this was the worst of punishments.

"It 's the first time my mom has packed me a brownie in years!" Thalia moaned. "And the thief stole it!"

"Ha! You think that's bad?" Travis challenged. "My dad packed me one of my aunt's famous triple-fudge cookies! But he took it too!"

"Be quiet!" Annabeth snapped. "I'm trying to read!"

"Aren't you worried about when he'll strike next?" Travis asked, completely hysterical. "Don't you see that he's tearing us apart?!"

Annabeth raised he eyebrow. "How are you so sure the burglar is a guy?"

"Don't start pointing fingers! The only reason I know is because I keep track of _all _the ladies in this school." Travis winked at Thalia.

"Ew," she said, scooting farther away from the Stoll.

Annabeth flipped a page in her book and sighed. "Travis is right. The thief is a boy."

"Wait." Thalia yanked _Watership Down _from Annabeth's hands. "You know who's been stealing all of our stuff?"

Annabeth scowled. "Give me back my book."

"But you know?"

Annabeth slouched down in her seat, too tired to attempt to retrieve her novel. "Yes, but I can't tell you the person's name.

"Why not?" Now it was Thalia's turn to be angry.

Annabeth's eyes flickered briefly to a stooped, grimy classmate sitting in the corner of the room. "I don't think that he wants me to tell."

Travis face-palmed.

**LINEBREAKLINEBREAK**

_**Two Days Before-**_

They were all outside playing volleyball when Percy snuck into the room where all the sack lunches were kept. He had clicked on a single light bulb, illuminating the twenty-four paper bags sitting side by side on a lone wooden shelf.

Percy could feel his bony frame shuddering underneath his thin layer of clothes, doing so from the unbelievable amount of sobs escaping his malnourished body. He didn't want to do this. He _really _didn't want to do it, but there was no other choice. He'd promised his mother he would never steal again: never become a thief like his step-father, but he couldn't take the hunger any longer. He hadn't eaten actual food in weeks: having only what was left in his neighbor's trash bin like a beggar. He'd sucked it up for so long, but now his willpower was rapidly coming to its end.

He _HAD _to eat.

Percy reached for the first lunch he saw, marked _Katie Gardner_. Inside was an apple, a chicken sandwich, a juice box, and a Rice Krispie bar. Hoping that taking the junk food would make him feel less guilty, Percy gobbled down the rice cake.

_Gosh, he was hungry. _

Swallowing his last mouthful, Percy rested his throbbing head against the wall. He still wasn't used to having solid food in his stomach, and as a result he had to slow down or risk barfing his guts out. After taking a short break, Percy returned Katie's bag to its rightful place and bit his bottom lip. He wanted to leave without taking more, but his stomach still wasn't satisfied. Would he be willing to take something else if it meant stealing from his classmates?

The answer was yes. Throwing ethics out the window, Percy quickly snatched a variety of random lunches and jammed an item from each into his pocket.

"_Honey, promise me you'll grow up to be a good man."_

"_Why are you telling me this mommy?"_

He checked that his hoodie didn't appear lumpy, making sure that he left no further evidence about what he'd done. Meanwhile, his brain was trying to convince itself that what he was doing wasn't wrong. These people had everything they needed; a welcoming home, enough money to avoid poverty, and chanced he himself would ever have. All he wanted was a proper meal. Was that too much to ask?

_Sally Jackson held her son closer to her warm, comforting body. Any stranger would have thought that she was saying goodbye, and although Percy didn't know it at the time, she was. _

"_Because sweetie, I'm going on a trip soon and I want to be sure that you'll be a good boy when I'm gone."_

_Percy's eyes filled with tears. "You're leaving me?"_

"_No, no Percy." Sally shook her head, squeezing her son tighter. "Please don't cry. It'll only be a little while."_

"_Don't you love me anymore?" Percy sniffled, looking earnestly into the pained face of his mother. _

"_I'm going away _because _I love you," Sally insisted. "I love you with all my heart and I'm only doing what's best for us."_

"Not true," Percy said, shaking his head at the memory.

He slid down with his back against the wall and pulled at his hair, feeling a sense of overwhelming loneliness. Was this how it was going to be for the rest of his life? Would crime be his only means of survival? His mom had broken her promise, and now it was time to break his own. Sally had left him, and she was never coming back. Not until he was dead.

Since walking into the classroom, Percy had not stopped crying. The day his mother had gone away was the last time he had shown any emotion, and he could no longer hold it in. Two years was a long time for someone of his age to keep everything under lock, and laying there on the cold linoleum floor, he finally let the tears fall. He was now facing reality, _and boy did it hurt_.

"_But what if you don't come back?" Percy chocked on his own words, unable to grasp the concept of abandon. "What if you die? Mommy, I'll never see you again!"_

"_It'll be okay." Sally was now fighting to keep her voice from breaking. "Someday you'll see me again, but until then there'll be someone very special taking care of you. You'll be living the life I could never give you, with lots of toys and a big family!"_

_Percy's shining eyes widened at the possibility of being loved by more than one person. "Really?"_

"_Yes, really." Sally pushed his hair back so that she'd be able to view her son's angelic face one last time. "But right now you need to promise me that you'll never be like Gabe. You won't steal, you won't be cruel, and most importantly, you'll never make someone hurt."_

"_Cross my heart," Percy said, making a finger "X" over his chest. "I'll be the bestest, nicest person ever!"_

_This time, Sally couldn't hold back the emotion. A trail of salt water made its journey down her face, and she pulled Percy into another warm embrace. _

"_Thank you Percy," she sobbed. "Thank you for making me the happiest mother in the world."_

_Percy hadn't responded. He was far too busy cherishing the last hug he would ever receive from his mother. _

**LINEBREAKLINEBREAK**

When Percy left the classroom, he didn't look back. It had taken him approximately five minutes to put himself back together, and blending in with the shadows, he had padded silently out of the classroom in the direction of the playground. No one would notice he was there except for the petite curly-haired girl sitting on her desk reading a book.

Had he examined his surroundings, he might've spotted her, but he hadn't and she didn't say a thing. Instead, she blinked and returned to what she was doing before because, as her brothers would say:

_What someone else did was none of her beeswax. _


	2. Wise-Girl

**Hey guys! I had an adventure uploading this chapter, but it's finally here! I'd also like to thank Charlee56 for giving me more motivation for updating! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! **

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to good Ol' Uncle Rick…erm. I accidentally called him old…oops.**

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><p>For Percy, the morning started simply enough. As usually the case, there was no food for breakfast and he walked to school hungry, but even though he didn't want to admit it, he was already used to the feeling. By now, the dull ache in his stomach was nothing compared to the fear he had of getting caught stealing from his classmates.<p>

No one was suspecting him yet, but he figured it would be sooner than later when they would find out and he would be suspended-or even expelled.

Given the circumstances, he felt he deserved it.

* * *

><p>Percy didn't know why it was that today he decided to arrive at school early for once. He'd never cared about the place, so why was it that he felt such an urgency to get there now? Did he suddenly realize the importance of education? Psh, no. Was it so that he could avoid seeing a passed out Gabe?<p>

_Yeah, _Percy nodded his head. _That must be it._

If Percy had let himself think about it for any longer, he could have come to the conclusion that it was fate that he was meant to reach the building at that exact moment. It would've explained why Annabeth stood waiting for him by the door.

But no, he wouldn't allow those thoughts to cloud his mind. Fate was never kind to Percy, and so it would be a jinx to even mention it.

_What's she holding behind her back? _

Percy stopped in his tracks.

_What if she stabs me!?_

When he looked back on it years later, Percy would admit that he was being melodramatic, but at that moment all he could think was that Annabeth was out to get him. That is, until she held out the thing in her hand.

Percy flinched, but held back from running away when he saw that what she was holding had not been his doom, but a brown paper bag.

Percy's eyes widened. _Is that for me?_

"You can come closer if you want," Annabeth said, interrupting Percy's hyperactive train of thought. "I won't bite." She smiled in a reserved, but not unkindly, way. "Promise."

And that's when Percy realized how he must've looked at the moment. He guessed it was something similar to a lost and damaged puppy.

Ducking his head to hide his cherry-red cheeks, he shuffled towards the strange girl. It wasn't his fault that he didn't know how to act around people! He could hardly look at a person in the eye without wincing and feeling like they would somehow end up hurting him. It was a miracle he didn't shy away from Annabeth.

"You zone out an awful lot," Annabeth said, waving her arm in front of Percy's face. "Mother always yells at me when I do it."

Percy stuffed his grimy hands into his pockets, feeling the wind entering the holes that they'd attained over the years. By now, he could fit three fingers through the gap.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled so low that Annabeth had to strain her ears to hear.

"You don't have to apologize. I do it all the time too when no one's around." Annabeth leaned forward and held out what she had been holding. "Here, I made it yesterday night."

Percy removed one of his hands from his pocket, but made no other move. He was too shocked to do anything else.

_Did she want to share something with him?_

"Aren't you going to take it?" She asked. "I worked pretty hard on it you know. It's only polite if you accept it."

Not wanting to be rude to his nicest classmate, Percy immediately snatched the package, realizing a second later that that too wasn't very good manners.

He held his tongue, holding back from saying sorry again, figuring that Annabeth wouldn't like it. In place of an apology, Percy opened the bag tentatively and peeked inside, curious about what it was that the girl had apparently spent a while on.

It took him a while to process what he was seeing, but when he did, he nearly gasped. What Annabeth had gotten ready for him was a neat lunch consisting of a juice box, a ham sandwich, an apple, and a cup of gelatin with a spoon. That was more than Gabe made for him in a week.

Percy could only look up and gape at Annabeth, suddenly unsure of what he should do.

"I had to hide the extra lunch from my mom because then she would ask me a bunch of questions, so I made this while she was in her study." Annabeth grinned, proud of herself for doing something on her own. "It was pretty fun to do. Except I've never hid any secrets from my parent's before, so it was kind of weird also."

Seeing that the green-eyed boy was still at loss, she continued, feeling strangely self-conscious. "Do you like it?"

Percy lowered his head, and stared at the ground. This made it harder for Annabeth to see his face, what with the hair covering his eyes. He didn't even look at her anymore, choosing instead to shuffle his feet underneath him.

Losing hope of getting any reaction, Annabeth sighed, disappointment filling her heart. She knew she shouldn't have expected anything more from the quiet boy, and she kept on reminding herself that after seeing him sneaking into the classroom yesterday, but she couldn't help but be let down. Honestly, she really had been planning on not involving herself with Percy Jackson, but the moment she got home, there had been a change in thought.

No matter how many times she repeated the mantra, _It's none of my business_, in her head, there was still that aching emotion that made her want to do _something. _Anything.

Percy reminded her of those little abandoned kids she saw walking the streets in the middle of the night, begging for food or shelter. He had the same expression the children did when they lost everything they had to live for. So she had to take action once, just once, and allow herself do something out of her comfort zone to help a person obviously in need.

But it was more simple than that. Annabeth was still a child, and like most children, she wanted to be recognized. She wanted Percy to be grateful…she wanted a reward. And it wasn't all her fault. Annabeth had never been taught to expect nothing in return. Quite the opposite actually. To her, there had always been a reward. Always.

Until now.

Giving up, the small girl turned around, hiding what she was really thinking, and said nothing more. Yet at the exact moment she was going to open the door to class, she heard a sniffle behind her, and froze.

A few seconds later, there came another one followed by a hiccup. Annabeth was almost too afraid too look behind her, but eventually she did and was met with the sight of a Percy trying to hold back sobs.

He stood the same way he had before Annabeth had nearly left him, except this time he was clutching the lunch bag to his chest, almost as if expecting it to disappear. His balled hands crinkled the brown paper, almost ripping into it from the pressure. Now it was Annabeth who was unaware of what she should do. She wasn't very good at handling emotional problems, but she also didn't want to leave simply because she was caught off guard. As the moments passed by, Percy only grew louder, until there was a point where his thin body was shaking uncontrollably and he could no longer choke back his weeping.

It was then that he realized he wasn't alone. Finally raising his head, Percy's red-rimmed eyes met Annabeth's, but this time instead of cringing, he gave her his first true smile in years, which to Annabeth, was honestly the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. That was when she saw how much Percy was truly hurting.

In that period of Annabeth's short life, she'd seen what pain really looked like in one expression. She had always thought that Percy's eyes resembled the sea, but never did she agree more with that thought until then. His sea-green orbs were definitely the gateway to his soul, and right now they were a tsunami of emotions, overflowing with the salty waters spilling down his cheeks. Except, the only thing being destroyed in their wake was Percy himself.

What happened next made Annabeth regret her previous thoughts. She'd rather not have gotten gratitude if it meant seeing Percy so broken.

"Th-thank you Annabeth." Despite his struggle to speak in between his wracking sobs, Percy pushed on, needing to express just how much the sack lunch meant to him. "Thank-thank you so m-much. You don't know…you don't know…"

_-how much this means to me, _Percy finished in his head.

This time, Annabeth knew what to do. It was the only thing she _could _do, and what she should've done from the start. Despite the fact that they had hardly spoken to each other, she ran forward and pulled Percy into the tightest hug she'd ever given to any person in her life, and although he was stiff at first, Percy hugged her back just as tight.

"It's no big deal," Annabeth said, knowing that to the boy in her arms, it really was. "But you know what I want to do now?"

Percy pulled back, fearing her answer. He could never be this lucky in one day, much less a year. "What?"

"I want to eat lunch together," Annabeth replied, eyes gleaming. "Do you?"

There was hardly a second's pause, before Percy was nodding his head vigorously.

"Good," Annabeth stated, positively glowing with happiness. "It was nice to officially meet you, Perseus Jackson."

"It was nice to officially meet you too Annabeth Chase," Percy replied, pulling a silly face. "But just call me Percy."

They shook hands, looking like little businessmen closing a deal.

Only, unlike with the adults, this particular unspoken promise would last forever.

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><p><em>Thank you Wise-Girl.<em>

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><p><strong>Aaaaaaand scene!<strong>

**Just to let you guys know, this story won't be long. Only about three or four chapters long at the greatest. **


	3. Forever Isn't Real

**Hello! Here's another chapter…or should I say filler? The next chapter will be MUCH better, so sorry if this ****disappoints you. :(**

**Disclaimer: PJO doesn't belong to me etc. etc.**

Sitting with Percy during lunch had soon become something normal for Annabeth, and before she knew it, the school week was almost over. Although, with Percy now in her life, it felt like much longer.

They hadn't spoken of much, and in fact hardly spoke at all at first, but Annabeth preferred it that way. It was so much nicer to simply share a comfortable silence with someone, than to force conversation and end up in an awkward situation. From day one, there had been a silent agreement that they would both remain unbothered by the other while they each went ahead and did their business. In Annabeth's case, that meant reading, while with Percy it was something different each time they met. Today, he had chosen to build a castle with the Lego kit he had borrowed from the classroom treasure box.

Annabeth watched from the corner of her eye, silently observing the small structure, and critiquing it in her head. She thought back to the time when he would simply sit there, unsure of what he should do around her, until eventually he decided to act like he usually did when alone. Annabeth supposed that he felt indebted to her for all the lunches she'd been bringing him for the past few days, but really, she wasn't bothered at all. Packing a quick something for Percy wasn't that hard for her, and it was worth it if it meant seeing him get better.

It may have seemed strange to any other person, but Annabeth appreciated having someone who understood that sometimes she wanted to do nothing more than share their company. She didn't need to have some long talk about TV shows or whatever random thing to keep a friendship going. All she wanted was someone to make little comments with and hopefully eventually be able to speak with in a way that came naturally. Annabeth supposed that if she were to make a comparison, she'd say that she wanted a person with whom she'd be able to fit in with like a puzzle piece. Yes, that was exactly the friend she wished for, and today would be the day she received that type of friendship from Percy.

Without thinking about it, Annabeth blurted out a thought she hadn't even been aware of. "I want to be an architect when I grow up."

Percy paused and looked up, giving the girl his full attention, happy that he finally had someone to give it to. "An architect? Like the smart ones that make stuff?"

Seeing that Percy was actually listening, Annabeth's eyes sparkled with a hidden joy. "Exactly! I want to be the best architect in the whole entire world!" At this, Annabeth dropped her book, and spread her arms wide, grinning from ear to ear. "I want to design the most beautiful buildings that anyone's ever seen! They're going to be huge, and they're going to last forever and ever! Don't you think that'd be amazing? For something you worked so hard for to never disappear?"

Percy frowned, and turned his head away so that Annabeth wouldn't see his expression. "I guess…"

The blonde lowered her arms, feeling the metaphorical balloon inside her deflate. "Did I say something mean?"

"No, that's not it," Percy muttered. "It's just that…Never mind."

Annabeth huffed, crossing her arms. "You've been doing that a lot, you know. You start out saying something, and then change your mind."

"I don't want to make you mad," Percy grumbled under his breath.

"Who cares if you make me mad?" Annabeth said. "All that matters is that you say what you really think. Getting someone angry is worth it as long as it's for letting yourself be heard."

The side of Percy's mouth twitched upwards, hearing her be so bold. It made him want to be a bit more like her.

"Well," He started, "you're saying that it'd be awesome if what you worked for lasted for eternity, right?"

Annabeth nodded her head, wanting to see where the green-eyed boy was going.

"But that's not possible," He stated. "Everything has to end eventually, and no matter how strong an object is, it'll never be indestructible. It's a cycle, you see. This whole playground is going to be rubble one day, and so are we. That's how it's always been, and how it always will be."

Annabeth bit her lip, not annoyed, simply tired of hearing the same thing for the millionth time. "That's exactly what my dad told me and I didn't listen to him, so that doesn't stop me from wanting to be an architect if that's what you're thinking."

Fearing that he offended Annabeth, Percy shook his had rapidly from side to side. "You got me wrong. I don't think you should stop wanting to be an architect at all!"

"Then what is it?" Annabeth asked, upset that the only friend she'd told her secret ambition to was turning her down.

"You didn't let me finish." Percy smiled, thinking back to the time when his mother would hold him close and tell him that he was special. "Nothing lasts forever, that's true. Love, for example, dies with the people that share it as if it never existed…but that doesn't mean it isn't important. When you see two people who really care about each other, don't you start thinking stuff you wouldn't normally think? Like, I don't know, isn't there ever this moment where you wish you were them or, dunno, maybe you wonder if they're really happy?"

Annabeth glanced at Percy, who was no longer staring at the ground, but at her. She thought for a moment, then sat right in front of him so that they were eye to eye.

"All the time," She replied. "Do you think that's bad?"

"Actually, I think it's a good thing." Percy leaned back so that he could look at the sky from between the leaves of the tree behind them. "And it's also kind of the point of what I was trying to say. I think that instead of basing architecture off the impossible idea of making a permanent building, your goal should be to make people _feel _something, anything at all as long as it's a strong emotion."

Annabeth ran her hands through the grass beneath her, feeling the warm soil and greenery flowing between her fingers. It was a nice feeling that brought with it a sense of calm that she hadn't felt since her mother's death, but also a wave of uncontrollable guilt. It almost made her want to tell Percy the truth, instead of pretending that Athena was still alive and laughing…but that could wait. For now, she'd much rather deal with the less complicated situation at hand.

"Fine, I get the idea," Annabeth sighed. "It's still nice to dream, though."

"Hmm," Percy agreed. "I think so too."

Annabeth laid herself down, and content with their little talk, she joined Percy in watching the clouds. "I want to add one more thing."

"And what's that, Wise-Girl?"

Annabeth flicked the boy, growing more comfortable with teasing him. "I still don't fully agree with you, so don't get all annoying!" She grew red when Percy sent her a smirk. "I know that nothing lasts forever, okay? I get that completely, and I'm fine with it, but you know what? I don't care one bit! I may not build something permanent, but I'll be such a good architect that I'll _make _people think that infinity exists! So there! Take that, Mr. Jackson!"

Annabeth scowled, expecting Percy to burst into laughter, but was taken aback when all that he did was smile and give her a nudge on the shoulder. "You know, I think I like your idea of forever much better than mine."

Keeping her growing blush at bay, Annabeth scoffed. "So you admit that you were given a well-deserved burn?"

This time, Percy really did throw his head back laughing, making Annabeth feel her fondness towards him grow, despite her pride willing her to keep it hidden. Without her wanting it, the boy next to her was settling himself a permanent place in her heart, and at a rapid pace too. It almost frightened Annabeth how much trust she was starting to place in him, yet she wasn't doing anything to keep herself from stopping it.

It seemed that Percy was feeling the same too, because when he turned to look at her, there was a sparkle in his eye that he'd unconsciously reserved only for Annabeth.

"Yeah, I admit it," He said. "I had that one coming."

Annabeth grinned, smug at his acceptance to defeat, and while he did feel it wasn't a very fair victory, Percy didn't mind his loss. As long as things were this way for the rest of his life, he would never complain.

* * *

><p><em>Except, as he had already said, nothing lasted forever…and this especially pertained to childhood friendships.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>There you go! The end…of the filler chapter!<strong>

**Anyways, for those of you who read my last author's note…I changed my mind. I'm making this longer…I know. I'm a terrible person. 0.0**

**K. Bye!**

**Follow, Favorite, Review, Wallow in Shame as You Do None of These Things?**

**Just kidding. **


	4. Announcement

**ANNOUNCEMENT: **

**Hey guys! I've got something to tell you…I'm going on hiatus. Not for a long time (depending on how you see it), but for a month or so. This goes for all my stories, so don't be surprised if you read my other stuff and see this. But yes, I need to focus on real-life projects. Don't worry though! When I say hiatus, yes I mean not updating for thirty days, but I also mean that I'll still be writing when I can. So don't be amazed if when it's over there's a ton of updates. Kind of good, kind of bad, but there you go. **

**Goodbye for now!**

**(I'll take this off when I'm back.)**


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